System for automatic coil winding machines



April 6, 1937. G. c. HoLLowAY 2,076,235 SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC COIL WIVINDING MACHINES 'I Filed April 29, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 1 "Ullillllh Nimm" lNvENToR- 6. C., 0l WHY ATTOPNE lApril 6, 1937.

G. c. HoLLowAY SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC COIL WINDING MACHINES Filed April 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ggf/gi@ INVENTOR 6. C. .H011 BY )if Ap. s, um

UNITED STATE l 2,016,236 SYSTEM 1F08. AUTOMATIC COIL WINDING MACHINES Gilbert C. Holloway, Bloomiield, N. J., assigner, by meme assignments. to Westinghouse Electric and Manufactum! Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 29,1933, Serial N0. 688,538

5 Claim!- (Cl. 177-311) My invention relates to coil winding machines and particularly to such machines of the mandrelless type as employed in the making of laments for incandescent lamps wherein a visual indication is given chine automatically stopped upon the occurrence of any faulty operation of the machine.

In machines of this general character the filament is wound in the form of a helix having convolutions oi the desired diameter and pitch and cut in predetermined lengths as the completed filaments are discharged by the machine at a uniform rate. During operation oi the machine it is not an infrequent occurrence for the wire to accidentally become tangled in' some manner in the machine or become disengaged from the die or guide rollers. In an instance of this kind continued operation of the machine aggravates this condition resulting in a loss of time and perhaps o a breaking of the filamentary wire unless the operator should happen to immediately notice the occurrence of the faulty operation of the machine.

By my present invention I minimize these contingencies by the provision of a coil winding machine wherein the machine is automatically stopped and a visual indication given to the operator upon the occurrence oi any fault in the operation oi the machine. This not only leads to economical operation of the machine itself but makes it possible for a -single operator to operate several machines simultaneously.y

For a better understanding of my present invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein, i

Figure 1 is an elevational view of one type of coil winding machine constructed in accordance with my present invention showing a convenient disposition of the various elements, and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatical representation of the fault indicating system of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail I have shown in Figure 1 a coil winding machine of the mandrelless type such as shown and claimed in U. -S. Patent No. to J. W. Ekstdt. The machine shown in the above patent includes a suitable electric motor driving a coil winding die I usuallylconsisting of a diamond having an arcuate cavity disposed in the'path of movement of a iilamentary wire fedfromaspooliandoveraguidednim. 'Ihewireissuesiromthedieintheiormof 55 a continuous coil and is severed into sections 4 to an operator and the ma-y matically interrupted.

1,670,499 issued May 22, 1928` by a suitable cutter adjacent to the die. The coiled sections are of such length as to constitute lamp maments. The lengths of these sections may vary depending upon the wattage of the lamp in which they are to be used. The coiled sections 4 are driven out by the force of the coilingaction and discharge through a chute 5 into a receptacle 6 at a predetermined uniform rate.

In the event that some fault occurs which causes too great a variation in the rate of discharge of the lamentary coils A or they cease altogether due to exhaustion of the wire from the spool 2 the'operation of the machine is auto- I accordingly provide an insulating member. such as a cylinder 1 of bakelite, hard rubber, glass or the like in the chute 5. A pair oi concentric metal cylinders forming contators 8 and 9 are disposed within the insulating member 'l in such a manner that they are insulated from each other and from the metal chute 5, but are positioned to allow the coiled filaments to pass therethrough as they are discharged from the machine into the receptacle 6.

Accordingly the completed lament in passing from the machine through the chute 5 to the receptacle 6 must necessarily establish an electrical contact with the contact terminals 8 and 0. The contact of the coiled filaments is intermittent but at a definite rate thus making the interim between contact of successive lamentary coils of very short duration. I connect an electrical circuit to these contact members 8 and 9 which comprises a suitable source of electrical energy, such as a series of batteries I0, the negative terminal of which is connected through a conductor I2 to the contact terminal 9. -The positive terminal of this source II) is connected by means of a conductor I3, to one end of an adjustable high l Il and the remaining end of this resistance is connected to a junction I5. A second low resistance element I6 has one of its ends connected to this junction I5 while its remaining end is connected, by means of a conductor I1 to the contact terminal Il.

A condenser I8 has one plate thereof connected by means of a conductor I! to the junction I5 while its remaining plate is connected through a conductor 20 to the conductor I2 and. thus to the negative terminal of the source III.

This condenser I8 accordingly forms a shunt circuit with the source I0 and the filamentary contact with permanently coils as they successively establish the terminals 8 and 9 and being 2 aozaaso connected to the source I is continually charged by the latter at a value determined by its respective capacity and the high resistance element I4. On the other hand the inclusion of the 5 nlamentary coils in the circuit, as they are discharged irom the machine, is intermittent and during the short interim when no filament completes a circuit between the contact terminals 8 and 8 all the energy of the source is supplied to 10 the condenser I8.

If this interim is of too long a duration the condenser I8 will become charged to a potential oi.' predetermined magnitude, but when of short duration, determinable by the adjustable resistance I4 and the capacity of the condenser itself, the condenser discharges through the resistance element I4 and filamentary coils 4 as the latter intermittently establish 4contact with the contactors 8 and 9. The condenser I8 is thus prohibited from becoming charged to its potential o'f predetermined magnitude with the resistance element I6 functioning not only to assist in the dissipation of the condenser discharge, but also to prevent sparking at the contact terminals 8 and 9 as the circuit is made and broken by contact of successive coils 4. Accordingly upon a cessation of the discharge of the lamentary coils i from the machine, or too great a time lapse between successive coils, the condenser becomes charged to the potential of predetermined magnitude and in order to give an indication oi' this condition to an operator as well as cause an interruption to the operation of the machine I connect the starting anode of a discharge device 22 to the S5 junction I 5 and accordingly to the positive terminal oi the condenser I8 by means of a conductor 23.

This discharge device is of a type Well lmown in the art as having a critical breakdown char- 40 acteristic. When the potential upon the starting anode rises to a certain value ionization of the gas within the tube occurs and causes a breakdown thereof thus enabling a current to flow in the output circuit which is connected to the main anode and cathode of the device.

A conductor 24 connects the cathode of the device 22 to the negative terminal of the source I0, or conductor I2 extending from the latter, and the anode of this device is connected by means of a conductor 25, to one end of the winding of a relay 26. The other end of this relay Winding is in turn connected by a conductor 27 to the positive terminal of the source I0, but is adapted to be interrupted by a normally closed spring pressed push button switch 28. This switch is in turn provided with a pair of normally open contact terminals 28 and 30, with the terminal 29 connected by ymeans of a conductor 32 to the conductor I2 and thus to the negative plate and terminal of the condenser I8 and source ID, respectively, while the remaining terminal 30 is connected by means of a conduc'tor 33 to the conductoril and accordingly to one end of the resistance element I6.

It thus becomes obvious that with the switch 28 in its normal position a positive polarity is supplied from the source I0, through conductor 2'I and switch 28, winding of relay 26, and conductor 25 to the anode of the discharge device 22 and that a negative polarity is supplied by the source I0, through conductors I2 and 24, to the cathode thereof. No current will now at this time, however, through the circuit as the discharge device has not broken down and is consequently in the opened position.

Moreover, the starting anode is supplied with a positive polarity from the junction I5, which is connected to the positive plate of the condenser I8. but this potential is not of sufficient magnitude to cause, ionization of the gas within the device or breakdown thereof, due to the periodic discharging of the condenser I 8, as previously explained, thus preventing the potential from rising to the predeterminedmagnitude.

Should, however, there be too long an interim between the intermittent engagement of the iliamentary coils with the contact terminals 8 and 8, which enables the condenser to become more highly charged to the potential of predetermined magnitude the potential impressed upon the starting anode by the condenser I8 naturally rises. This rise of positive potential upon the starting anode increases the potential difference between it and the cathode, which has a nega tive polarity also impressed by the condenser I8, and immediately causes an ionization oi the gas 'within the device. Upon ionization of the gas by the increased potential on the starting anode the device will break down thus closing the same by enabling electrons to ilow between the main anode and cathode thereof with attendant current ow in the output circuit with energization of the relay 26. The relay 26 is provided with a pivoted contactor 34 connected to the core thereof which in the normal deenergized position of the relay winding establishes a contact with a stationary contact terminal 35 and in its energized position establishes contact with a similar stationary contact terminal 36.

The pivoted contactor 34 is electrically connected to one side of the source for supplying energy to the motor of the coil Winding machine and the contactor 35, which is normally engaged by the pivoted contactor, is connected to one side of the armature and field of the motor thus permitting energization of the motor and operation of the machine when the usual motor controls are actuated.

Upon energization of the relay 26 following break down of the device 22 the core of the relay is attracted causing opening of the contactors 34 and 35 and interruption of the motor circuit with a stopping of operation of the machine. At the same time contact will be established between the contactors 34 and 36 which completes a circuit to an indicating lamp to give a visual indication simultaneously with stopping of the machine that due to some fault within the machine the completed iilamentary coils are not coming out of the machine at the predeter mined rate.

After interruption of the operation of the machine has occurred and the indicating lamp has been lighted, the operator after rectifying the fault in the operation of the machine must first depress the push button 28 before the machine can be again started. This interrupts the circuit to the relay 26 and discharge device 22, and also establishes contact with the contact terminals 29 and 30 thus enabling the accumulated charge of the condenser to be dissipated through the resistance element I6 by connecting the latter directly to the plates of the condenser. This accordingly resets the entire machine in condition for reoperation.

In Figure 1 I have shown the various elements of the fault indicating portion of my present invention conveniently located at various positions of the machine which lends itself to compactness and economy. As -a matter of illustration the various elements may be located in the manner indicated by the descriptive legends shown in Figure l, or otherwise conveniently positioned as desired. Moreover, while I have shown and described my invention as pertaining to a coil winding machine of the mandrelless type, 'as shown and described in the aforementioned patent, it is to be understood that the same is adaptable with equal facility to other types of machines.

Although I have specific embodiment of my invention I do not desire to be limited thereto as various other modifications of the same may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

l. The combination with a coil winding malamentary wire into helically formed sections and intermittently discharging the same at a uniform rate, of means for discharging said helically formed sections from said machine in a predetermined path, and means provided with a 'portion thereof disposed in the path of discharge of said helically formed sections and intermittently contacted by said sections during discharge thereof and operable in response to a cessation of discharge of said hellcally formed sections for an abnormal period of time to cause a cessation of the operation of said machine.

2. The combination with a coil winding machine for helically winding a wire to form a filament for incandescent lamps and intermittently severing said wire into sections of predetermined length at a uniform rate, of means for successively discharging said fllamentary sections from said machine in a predetermined path, means 40 disposed in the discharge path of said iilamentary 45 tween successive sections and intermittently contacted thereby during their movement, and means connected to said last mentioned means and operable in response to an abnormal intervening interval bedischarges of said filamentary sections to cause a cessation of operation of said machine.

3. The combination with a coll winding machine for winding a lamentary wire into helically formed sections and intermittently discharging the same at a uniform rate, of means for successively discharging said helically formed sections from said machine in a predetermined path. means disposed in the path of 55 said helically formed sections and intermittently contacted thereby during their movement, and an electrical circuit connected to said last mentioned means and operable in response to an abnormal intervening interval between successive discharges of said helically formed sections to cause a ceation of the operation of said machine.

4. The combination with a coil winding mashown and described one chine for winding a illamentary wire into helically formed sections and intermittently discharging the same at a uniform rate, of means for successively discharging saidhelically formed sections from said machine in a predetermined path, means disposed in the path of discharge of said helically formed sections and intermittently contacted thereby during their discharge through said predetermined path, an electrical circuit connected to said last mentioned means including a source of electrical energy and an energy storage device energized from said source and operable to discharge its accumulated energy through said helically formed sections as the latter intermittently contact said last mentioned means at a uniform rate during their discharge from said machine, and a second electrical circuit including a device connected to the source of motive power for said machine and a device connected to said energy storage device and energized by discharge thereof upon the occurrence of an abnormal intervening interval between successive discharges of said helically formed sections from said machine, to cause current ilow in said second mentioned circuit with attendant interruption to the source of motive power for said machine and a cessation of the operation of the latter.

5. The combination with'a coil winding machine for winding a filamentary wire into helically formed sections and intermittently discharging the same ata uniform rate, of means for successively discharging said helically formed sections from said machine in a predetermined path, means disposed in the path of discharge of said helically formed sections and intermittently contacted thereby during their discharge through said predetermined path, an electrical circuit connected to said last mentioned means including a source of electrical energy and a condenser charged by said source and operable to discharge its accumulated energy through said helically formed sections as the latter intermittently contact said last mentioned means at a uniform rate during discharge from said machine, a second electrical circuit including a relay connected to a source of motive power for said machine and a discharge device connected to said condenser .and energized by discharge thereof upon. a cessation of discharge of said helically formed sections for an abnormal period of time to cause current flow in said second mentioned circuit with attendant energization of said relay and interruption to the source of motive power for said machine, and a cessation of operation ofthe latter, and a third electrical circuit adapted to be completed by operation of said relay simultaneously with of theV source of motive power for said machine to give an indication to an operator of a cessation of operation of said machine.

GILBERT C. HOLLOWAY.

the interruption 

